The upcoming Ford Fusion Hybrid has surprised the hybrid world by securing a 41mpg city rating. That fuel economy would put in only behind the Prius as the most fuel efficient car. The 41mpg rating is even higher than the Toyota Camry and Honda Civic hybrids.

The Fusion Hybrid is set to be released in late 2009 with a price tag of $27,000. The performance is a respectable 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Its reported to be able to achieve 47 mph on battery power alone, before switching over to engine power.

It seems Ford is serious about moving into the green car space, and has a possible winner on their hands with the Fusion Hybrid.

Dean Kamen, the prolific inventor most famous for the iconic Segway, has been tinkering with hybrid electric cars. He now has built a prototype car that is listed on the registration as a 2008 DEKA Revolt. Based on the body of the discontinued Ford Think, the car uses lithium batteries and a revolutionary Stirling engine. The batteries power the car directly, while the Stirling engine powers secondary features like heating and defrosters. Then when the battery runs low, the Stirling will recharge the batteries and extend the range of the car. The car will go 60 miles on a single charge.

Kamen has never backed down from attempting to solve huge issues of the world, like clean water, electricity for developing countries and transportation. “The car is a step along the way to be able to build, in high volume, high-quality, low-cost electric generation for a couple billion people,” Kamen explained. He hopes to have the car in production in 2 years.

Will the DEKA Revolt make the worldwide impact on transportation that eluded Kamen with the Segway? Time will tell.